


She Belongs to Me

by Bubblebirdie



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Elementary School, Alternate Universe - Kindergarten & Pre-school, Alternate Universe - Middle School, Childhood Sweethearts, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Jealous Felicity Smoak, Jealous Sara Lance, Kid Fic, Love/Hate, Lovers to Friends to Enemies to Lovers, it's complicated - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:41:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24121498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bubblebirdie/pseuds/Bubblebirdie
Summary: Sara Lance was the kind of girl who zipped through her work to get it over with and got all the answers wrong.Felicity Smoak was the kind of girl who zipped through her work because it was easy and got all the answers right.Sara Lance was the jock chick who needed a tutor.And Felicity Smoak. Well, she was the tutor.But it was a bit more complicated than that.
Relationships: Sara Lance & Felicity Smoak, Sara Lance/Felicity Smoak
Comments: 4
Kudos: 62





	She Belongs to Me

They first met on a rainy day in September many years ago. The weather had been terrible for the first day of school, and it only made it more difficult for the teachers to herd a bunch of wailing 5-year-olds into their respective classrooms. But the main reason for the teachers’ anguish was not the weather nor was in the wailing 5-year-olds. Well, the problem was 5-year-olds. Two 5-year-olds to be specific, and their names were Felicity Smoak and Sara Lance.

“Sara! Sara Lance,” The kindergarten teacher, having just joined the staff of Starling Elementary, was fresh out of college and nearly in tears. Little Sara, whose hair was done in pigtails, was chasing Felicity all around the playground. Felicity ran to the teacher, her frilly pink dress all muddy, and hid behind her legs. Her eyes were brimming over with tears as well, but Sara still had a wide grin on her face.

“’Licity!” she shrieked spotting the girl. The teacher had no idea how the children had managed to learn each other’s names in such a short time as it was evident that the two didn’t know one another from pre-school. She ran up to Felicity and tried to plant a kiss on her face, but Felicity pushed her away.

“Go away!” she said firmly despite her quivering chin, and the teacher felt a rush of affection for the little girl. She reached down and took her hand, leading her inside and trusting that Sara would follow. She did. The teacher quickly learned not to separate Sara from Felicity, but also, not to leave Sara unattended near Felicity. Sara copied whatever Felicity did to the best of her abilities, learning to spell F-E-L-C-I-T-Y before her own name. As long as Felicity followed the rules, Sara did as well. Her blessing was that Felicity was a singularly gifted child who was also particularly pedantic.

The story of Felicity and Sara quickly traveled through the school because really was there anything more adorable, and the first-grade teacher looked forward to having them in her classroom. In hindsight, she really ought to have enjoyed the peace while it lasted.

The first day of first grade was a sunny day that brought many new things to Starling Elementary. One of them was Felicity Smoak’s glasses. The other was a newly independent Sara Lance. It was almost as though the dynamics had shifted. Felicity was still the shy little girl she had been last year, and Sara still the rambunctious trouble maker. However, Sara expanded her social eye outward and began to do other things than obsess over Felicity. This made the little girl very, very jealous. The once perfect little student had become uncooperative that was unless Sara was with her. And she would only talk to Sara. During recess, she would sit grumpily, hiding with a book waiting for Sara to find her. If Sara did show up to drag her out of the tube, she would smile at her shyly and follow her to the swings, and Sara would push her. On the days Sara forgot all about her, she would run off the playground with tears in her eyes and read in the bathroom. However, the most notable day of Sara and Felicity’s entire first grade career didn’t come until March. It was a crisp day, not cold enough that snow was on the ground, but not warm enough to need a coat.

“Good Morning, Felicity,” the first-grade teacher smiled at her, hoping it would some how soften the blow she was about to deliver to Felicity. As she did every morning, the little girl looked around the classroom for Sara. Most mornings, she would skip up to Felicity and grab her hand dragging her off to play with her. There were a few mornings when she was too engrossed with her play with Amaya or Ray. On those days, Felicity was even sulkier than usual. However, that morning definitely took the cake for bad Felicity mornings.

“Where’s Sara?” she demanded as soon as she realized her blonde admirer was nowhere in sight.

“Ah, Felicity dear, she’s, umm, sick,” She watched the girl with bated breath, a little afraid for the inevitable melt down to come. Only, it didn’t because Ray walked over to them just as Felicity was about to explode and tapped her on the shoulder.

“Hi, Felicity, do you want to play with us?” He was a charismatic ball of sunshine really, and when he smiled at her, she calmed down. He waited kindly for her to regain control of her speech.

“Yes, please,” and then, she was off, babbling beside him and grinning at Amaya. When Sara came back however, she had her first encounter with the green beast Felicity had been battling all year.

Of all the teachers who had Felicity and Sara in their classroom, the second-grade teacher was the unluckiest by far as second-grade came and went with much mutual pining. For that was the year that Sara and Felicity broke up. Many things happened that year, but nobody remembered them. They just remembered the shadow of gloom that was cast over second-grade by the dynamic duo’s parting. The forming of their bond, one might call it, had been instantaneous and chaotic. A storm had passed through Starling Elementary leaving its attendees for the better. Their falling out on the other hand happened slowly, so that one day after Sara and Felicity hadn’t spoken for months, they woke up and realized what was wrong. That was the year that the tradition of pairing them together for projects began.

“Jefferson Jackson and Amaya Jiwe, you two are partners,” The second-grade teacher was pairing the students up by last names. Felicity’s partner should have been Caitlin Snow, an equally intelligent girl who didn’t mind her babbling, and Sara’s partner should have been Floyd Lawton, a trouble-maker who had been held back twice. “Lisa Snart and Floyd Lawton, you’re partners,” Felicity’s eyes widened in realization. “Felicity Smoak and Sara Lance,” The second-grade teacher looked around at the kids, adjusting her glasses, to make sure there was no trouble. During lunch, she told the other teachers what they had done, and they waited eagerly for updates the next day. There was nothing. The girls worked civilly together and a week later presented their project on Venus.

“Sara, are you and Felicity alright?” the first-grade teacher pulled her aside during lunch.

“Me and Felicity?”

“You two used to be inseparable. You had the cutest little crush on her,” That was the wrong way to go about it though. Sara crinkled her nose up as the word “cute” was used to describe something that to her was very embarrassing and very much of the past.

“I need to pee,” she lied, a skill she would soon have complete mastery of, and disappeared. On her way to the girls’ bathroom, was the exact moment Sara Lance started hating Felicity Smoak. She could pin-point it down to the second. It was the moment she began to loathe everything about her. From her ponytail to her toe nail-polish.

Third grade started on muggy, hot day that made it very difficult for 8-year-olds to pay attention. The third-grade teacher was much stricter than any teacher they had had so far. For the first time ever, they actually had to do work on the first day of school. Predictably, Felicity finished her work the quickest. Also, predictably, it annoyed Sara to no end. Sure, Felicity was an actual certified genius, but that didn’t mean she had to rub it in her face.

“I’m done,” Sara raced to the teacher’s desk to have it checked just as Felicity wrote down her last answer. She looked up and her eyes narrowed as she saw Sara, the picture of innocence, waiting as the teacher checked her paper.

“Sara,” the third-grade teacher sighed disappointedly, “You got nine of the answers wrong. Are you feeling alright,” There were ten questions. The teacher squinted at her. Sara didn’t have a history of bad grades- not that she had a history of good ones, but any third grader should be able to do simple addition. Felicity stood patiently behind Sara as the teacher handed her back her paper that was dripping in red ink.

“I beat you, Smoak,” Sara whispered in Felicity’s ear as she passed, and all of a sudden, it didn’t matter that Sara had gotten virtually all of her answers wrong because she had won. From that day on, it became a competition: who could do it faster. Sara’s grades were at all time low that term. Her parents were called in for a meeting, and for all major tests, Sara was separated from the group. Felicity’s mother was called in to discuss giving Felicity advanced work, and she was given different math problems than the rest of the group. That wasn’t the only thing they were competitive about. Who could swing higher was often the talk of the teacher’s lounge. The uptight third grade teacher would not participate in such nonsense, but the second-grade teacher was on playground duty when the third graders were at recess.

“I win!” Felicity would declare if she had indeed one the battle of the day. Then, she would run off with Ray and Caitlin a grin on her face. Sara would roll her eyes after her and stick her tongue out, but she never payed attention in class if she’d lost.

“I win, Smoak,” Sara would smirk if she had won which she did more often than not. She would offer to help Felicity off the swings, and Felicity, of course, would turn her down. If Felicity lost, she would walk away sassily but keep her babbles to herself until the next day. However, to the teachers’ delight, on the days that she won, Sara didn’t smile half-so-much. How could she without a proper dose of Felicity Smoak rambles.

The young, newly graduated collegiate, who had first started working at Starling Elementary when Sara and Felicity were just 5, taught fourth grade that year. It was only appropriate that the year be started with just the right amount of déjà vu.

“Felicity Meghan Smoak! Give. It. Back,” the ex-kindergarten teacher looked up. It was still a bit early for anyone to arrive, but in entered Felicity wearing a pale pink skirt.

“You’re teaching us this year!” she exclaimed happily walking over to her.

“Lis,” Sara burst into the classroom in overalls and rainboots. “Please give it back,” Her eyes flicked momentarily to the teacher, so she knew that the only reason for Sara’s nicer phrasing was her presence.

“Why?” Felicity demanded crossing her arms and the teacher was filled with the same sense of pride she had been exactly four years ago. “Are you afraid that Len’s going to find out?”

“Leonard is my friend,” Sara said firmly, “and it’s mine,”

“Really? Because it has my name on it,” Felicity had a sense of confidence that she had lacked when she was 5-years old. The teacher couldn’t help but be proud.

“Look, just don’t show anyone,” Sara finally sighed dropping her stuff in the seat that had her name on it. Felicity stayed to chat with her, but she couldn’t help noticing Sara blatantly staring at Felicity as she babbled on about her summer. The teacher never did find out what Sara had wanted Felicity to give back to her. Whatever it was, it was definitely something Sara didn’t want anyone in her new crowd, she didn’t approve, finding about. Enough so that Felicity held it above her head. She had never wanted to tell two 4th graders to kiss and make up so much before. She had never wanted to tell two 4th graders to kiss and make up at all actually, but the tension really was killing her. Nothing would fix it, at least nothing within the power of a Starling Elementary teacher.

The Felicity- Sara situation did not change in 5th grade either, and the entire school was on edge- well maybe just the teachers were. Yet, the real change was to come in 7th grade. To the disappointment of the teachers of Starling Elementary, they only got to hear about it instead of witnessing it first-hand.

Come Middle School, they had reached a sort of truce. Sara was popular. Felicity was not. In any other world, Felicity would have been bullied mercilessly if not by those in her class, then, by those in upper grades. However, she wasn’t, and the explanation was two words: Sara Lance. It was a well-known fact that if you so much as thought of touching Felicity, you’d get a visit from her; she could kick your ass seven ways to Sunday, quite literally with her arsenal of martial art skills. Rule #1 of surviving Middle School was don’t touch Felicity, and Rule #2 was don’t piss off Sara Lance. Yet for some inexplicable reason, Sara hated of Felicity.

“You hate her?” Nate’s spoon hovered in mid-air. That did not make sense with what he had gathered of the Starling crew since he’d arrived.

“Yeah, she’s-,”

“Don’t let her get started,” Amaya cut her off knowingly. She had heard the speech more times than she could count. Normally that phrase was used as a hyperbole, but in this case, it was very, very accurate.

“Then, why do beat up anyone who so much as looks at her,” Nate asked and the table suddenly grew very quiet. Nate had unknowingly broken the second rule of surviving Middle School.

“We need to get going for soccer try-outs,” Sara broke the silence at last and the group split up.

So, the sixth grade would have passed without any interaction between the two at all if it hadn’t been for a few unfortunate circumstances. Sara’s parents were getting divorced, and it was difficult for them to juggle two kids and the divorce. So, Felicity’s mother had kindly offered to take Sara to and from school. The Lances and Donna Smoak were very close having first met through their children; they continued to be friends. This arrangement meant that Felicity had to stay after school on the days she didn’t have First Lego League, and Sara had to stay after school on the days she didn’t have soccer. It also meant that Felicity had to attend all of Sara’s soccer games barring the ones on Saturday, and Sara had to attend all of Felicity’s scrimmages barring the ones on Saturday. They ended up having to spend even more time together on top of that because they were partnered together for every project. The tradition had started out of a teacher’s wistfulness, but it had continued because they worked really well together. For all their preaching to hate each other, they could practically read each other’s minds making them the perfect duo. Besides, their teachers got a kick out making students suffer.

Seventh grade started on a rather cool day in September. Felicity and Sara arrived at Starling Middle half an hour earlier than everyone else because Felicity liked to be early, and they were still carpooling. Sara was quieter that year, and she spent less time with Amaya and more time with Mick and Len in the eighth grade. Felicity was taking a bunch of classes in the high school. The two barely crossed paths. The days of Felicity and Sara were long over. Or so they thought.

“Sara, I’m afraid if you don’t get your grades up, you can’t be on the soccer team,” her coach told her sadly. It really was a tragedy. Sara was one of their best players.

“I will,” She kicked at the turf.

“I’m serious. You have until the end of the term,” When Sara got into the car that afternoon, she was quite obviously despondent.

“Sara, honey, what’s wrong?” Donna always knew when something was up. Sara hadn’t been her usual self since her mother had moved away, but this was a whole new level of dejectedness.

“Nothing,” Sara tried even though she knew that wouldn’t fly with Donna.

“Sara,” she said sternly. Felicity was curled up in the seat next to Sara in a big sweatshirt, reading.

“If I don’t get my grades up, I’m going to be kicked off the soccer team,” This was so embarrassing. She was failing, and Felicity was sitting right there, a literal genius. She probably thought Sara was pathetic. Actually, scratch that, she knew Sara was pathetic.

“Oh, honey, Felicity can help you,” Donna offered. The sound of her name pulled Felicity out of her book.

“What?”

“I was saying that you could tutor Sara,” Donna turned around, fixing her daughter with a look that clearly told her she didn’t have an option.

“No, it’s fine- she doesn’t have to,”

“I insist,” Donna said firmly, and that was the end of the discussion. Donna texted Quentin to let him know about the situation, and it was set. Saturday mornings, Sara would walk to the Smoak house and have breakfast with Donna as they waited for Felicity to wake up.

“Morning,” Felicity walked past them heading straight for the coffee. Donna shook her head after her daughter. She had long ago stopped trying to fight her daughter’s addiction to coffee. Her hair was a mess, and she was wearing shorts so short that they were covered by her over-sized MATHCOUNTS T-shirt. She sat sleepily down next to Sara.

“I’ve got to go to work, now girls. Felicity what do you want for breakfast?” Donna stood up and made her way to the kitchen. Felicity, however, was not nearly awake enough yet to respond.

“It’s fine Ms. Smoak. I can get her breakfast,” Sara stood up, handing Donna her car keys.

“Thank you, sweetheart,” Donna beamed and the left before she really was late. Sara turned to Felicity and pasted on an exaggerated smile.

“So, what do you want for breakfast, hon,”

“Shut up,” Felicity grumbled.

“Cereal it is!” It was a written rule in the Smoak household that Felicity was not allowed in the kitchen. She could make coffee, but that was it. She had once burned milk microwaving it for her cereal. Felicity stuck her tongue out at Sara as she grabbed the Lucky Charms and dumped them in the bowl. Felicity ate her cereal, and Sara grabbed her math book.

“So, Pre-Algebra,” Felicity pulled her hair back into a ponytail, and they got to work. That was how the next few weeks progressed. Outside of school, there was an almost domestic civility between them, and in school, it was an electrifying hatred. One time, Ray came over to Felicity’s house on a Saturday, and Sara answered the door. He left before Felicity saw him, and the next day, his phone blew up with threats if he told anybody. His theory was that they were secretly together. Why it was a secret- he couldn’t fathom.

One morning, Sara didn’t show up. Donna’s shifts had gotten longer, so she was normally long gone before Sara showed up, trusting Sara to make sure Felicity didn’t burn down the house. Felicity woke up at eight and stumbled downstairs reaching blindly for the coffee. It was cold. She opened her eyes properly. Sara wasn’t there. She racked her mind, but she couldn’t think of a reason for Sara’s absence. Felicity was very hungry and caffeine deprived, but she was also worried for her…. for Sara.

“Sara?” The face of a tear-stained blonde appeared at the door.

“Felicity?” She was wearing a tank-top and PJ pants; her dad’s shirt was wrapped around her. Felicity was a very socially awkward human. She wasn’t very good at comforting people, but just then, she knew exactly what to do.

It happened slowly, and then, all of a sudden, everything fell into place. Felicity Smoak and Sara Lance met on the first day of kindergarten. 5-year old Sara had tried to kiss Felicity, and that was the start of something beautiful. A relationship that would take many twists and turns before that could be relived. When Felicity Smoak finally kissed Sara Lance, it was practically religious. They were standing on Sara’s porch and it was raining when she finally achieved what she had attempted to so many years ago. That was the moment Felicity became much more than Sara’s tutor. That was the moment Sara became much more than Felicity’s adversary. Much more than her friend.

The story of Felicity and Sara quickly traveled through the school because really was there anything more romantic. What had been puppy love had transformed into teenage affection. The teachers at Starling Elementary were overjoyed. The teachers at Starling High looked forward to having them in their classrooms. In hindsight, they really ought to have enjoyed the peace while it lasted.

**Author's Note:**

> I was stuck on the last chapter for I'm Hoping it Might when this happened. I will try to get that done soon, but in any case, I hope you enjoyed some fluffy baby Smoaking Canary-goodness.


End file.
